Women’s Empowerment in Indian Political System-From Panchayat to Rashtrapati Bhavan

23/11/2023

Current Article–Women Empowerment- Gender Gap
Women’s Empowerment in Indian Political System-From Panchayat to Rashtrapati Bhavan: A Reappraisal

Dr. Ramjilal, Social Scientist, Former Principal, Dyal Singh College, Karnal (Haryana- India)
Drramjilal1947@gmail.com

(Samaj Weekly)- Half of the world’s population is women. There has been an unprecedented change in the social, economic, educational ,and political fields of women in every country of the world. India is no exception in this regard. In India, presence of women can be witnessed from Gram Panchayat to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Not only this, but women have actively participated in the national movement. From streets to Parliament, women have played a unique role in the movements run by farmers, laborers, and trade unions. The main example of women empowerment in Indian politics is that it is a matter of pride for Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil and current President Draupadi Murmu to hold the highest post of the Indian Republic – (the post of President). The credit of being the first woman Prime Minister of India (1966-1977 and 1980-1984) goes to Mrs. Indira Gandhi. During her reign, about 93,000 soldiers of the Pakistani Army in the Indo-Pak war (1971) had to lay down arms, and Pakistan had to face humiliating defeat. Victory in the India-Pakistan war (1971) and the creation of Bangladesh prove that women’s leadership is not weak. Because of this incomparable contribution, Bharatiya Jan Sangh (now BJP) leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee called Mrs. Indira Gandhi ‘Durga’ (Goddess of Power). Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi is in the galaxy of powerful rulers and has a special place on the world stage.

At the end of the ninth year (2009) of the first decade of the 21st century, a new era began in the Indian parliamentary system. The first woman President of India, Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, and the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mrs. Meira Kumar, the Chairperson of the UPA and the first woman President of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, and the first woman of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha. This is the first time in the history of the country since 1950 that the President, the Speaker, the ruling party, and the opposition were headed by women. This is an incomparable example of women’s empowerment. After looking at the political institutions of the world, it becomes clear that such examples are not found even in developed democracies – England, America, France, Switzerland, Canada etc. We would like to tell the attentive readers that till date no woman has been elected to the post of President in the United States of America(USA). Although the USA considers itself an ‘excellent democracy’.

The history of women’s universal suffrage in the world is very long and women have received this right after struggles. Initially, many states provided limited suffrage with certain conditions. New Zealand was the first nation to grant universal suffrage to women in 1893, about 130 years ago. However, until 1919, women were not given the right to be elected in parliamentary elections. Before the US 19th Constitutional Amendment was passed in 1920, 19 countries had granted universal suffrage to women. After a long struggle in the former Soviet Union (present-day Russia), women were given universal suffrage in 1917. In France, women got the right to vote under universal suffrage in 1944. Between 1893 and 1960, women were given the right to vote in 129 out of 198 states of the world.

>https://samajweekly.com/women-empowerment-in-indian-political-system/
> https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2020/10/05/key-facts-about-womens-suffrage-around-the-world-a-century-after-u-s-ratified-19th-amendment / >https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2831,00.html

The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950 and according to Article 326 of the Constitution, every person – male or female – has the right to vote at the minimum age of 21 years. In India, ‘every person has one vote’ and it has ‘one value’. In other words, according to the creator and architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the principle of ‘one vote, one value’ is applicable irrespective of caste, creed, gender, religion region, language, and place of birth. According to the Sixty-first Amendment Act of the Constitution of India, 1988, the minimum voting age was reduced from 21 years to 18 years.

>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixty-first_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_India >https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20051226-voting-age-in-india-changed-from-21 -to-18-in-1988-786372-2005-12-25

At the time of the first Indian general election (25 October 1951 – 21 February 1952), the total population (except Jammu and Kashmir) was 361 million and the number of voters was 173 million. >https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/columns/shankar-aiyar/2023/sep/17/a-billion-voters-2024elections-x-y-and-w-factors-2615541.
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951%E2%80%9352_Indian_general_election

The number of voters in the 17th Lok Sabha elections (from 11 April 2019 to 19 May 2019) was approximately 912 million. The number of voters in India is almost equal to the population of 100 states of the world. In the 18th Lok Sabha elections (2024), the proposed population will be approximately 1.431 billion and one billion voters will exercise their franchise. According to Shankar Iyer, ‘the most important force in this election is likely to be the W factor – women voters. The voting percentage of women has increased in the last two decades. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the number of female voters at 67.18 percent was more than the number of male voters at 67.01 percent. The important thing is that women are the ‘new kingmakers’ in the elections of Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies.

>www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/columns/shankar-aiyar/2023/sep/17/a-billion-voters-2024elections-x-y-and-w-factors-2615541.html
>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/women-voter-participation-exceeds-that-of-men-in-2019-ls-polls-cec-chandra/articleshow/87936542.cms

Female literacy and Female Representation in legislative Assemblies: No correlation

At present the number of women members in the Legislative Assemblies of 20 states and union territories is less than 10%. These states include Gujarat (8.2%), Maharashtra (8.3%), Andhra Pradesh (8%), Kerala (7.9%), Tamil Nadu (5.1%), Telangana (5%) and Karnataka (4.5%). Nagaland was established on 30 November 1963. Not a single woman was elected to the Nagaland Assembly for 60 years. In March 2023, for the first time two women – NDPP leader Hekani Jakhalu and Salhoutunuo Kruse – created history by being elected MLAs. Both these women are a symbol of pride for the women of Nagaland because, for the first time, they have achieved success in political life by breaking the glass ceiling.

>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/nagaland/news/meet-hekani-jakhalu-and-salhoutunuo-kruse-who-created-history-by-becoming-first-2-women-mlas -in-nagaland/articleshow/98363688.cms?from=mdr
>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/98363688.cms?from=mdr&utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
https://samajweekly.com/women-empowerment-in-indian-political-system/

There seems to be no correlation between education and women’s election because the male and female literacy rates of Nagaland as per the 2011 census are 82.75% and 76.11% respectively. Similarly, there is 100 percent female literacy in Kerala. Despite this, the female representation in the current Kerala Assembly is only 7.9%. The state of Mizoram was established on February 20, 1987. According to the latest population census of the year 2023, female literacy is 89.27 percent. Despite this, not a single woman could win the election for the 40-member assembly in the 2018 elections. These examples illustrate that there is no linkage between female literacy and female representation in the state assembly elections.

>https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/hekani-jakhalu-nagaland-first-woman-mla-ndpp-8475448/
>https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/manipur-assembly-election/five-women-elected-to-60-member-manipur-assembly-it-is-a-first-101647029097432.html

Number of Women Voters and Women Voting and Women Representation in legislative Assemblies: No correlation

There is no correlation between the number of women voters, women voting, and women’s election victory. After 75 years of independence, there was a surprising change in the gender gap in the 17th Lok Sabha elections (2019) – female voter turnout and male voter turnout. This was the first election when female voting was 67.18% and male voting was 67.1%. In other words, female voting was 0.17% more than male voting. Despite this, at present the total number of women MPs in the Lok Sabha is 78.

The gender gap is clearly visible not only in the Lok Sabha elections but also in the state legislative Assembly elections. The following illustration proves this hypothesis..

In Manipur, out of the total (20,48,169) voters, the number of women voters (10,57,336) is more than that of men (9,96,627). Five women were elected to the 60-member Manipur Assembly in the March 2022 assembly elections. Mizoram State was established on February 20, 1987.

According to the latest census of 2023, Mizoram literacy rate, female literacy is 89.27 percent and sex ratio is 976. The number of female voters is 4, 38,995, which is more than the number of male voters. Despite this, not a single woman could win the election for the 40-member assembly in the 2018 elections. Out of 174 candidates, only 16 women are candidates in the November 2023 assembly elections. When political parties do not field women to contest elections, then in what manner will the number of women in the Assembly increase? This is a basic question. The fundamental reason for this is that like other societies in India, the Mizo society is still patriarchal while it ranks third in India in terms of literacy.

>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/women-voter>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/women-voter-participation-exceeds-that-of-men-in-2019-ls-polls-cec-chandra/articleshow/87936542.cms >https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/manipur-assembly-election/five-women-elected-to-60-member-manipur-assembly-it-is-a-first-101647029097432.html
>https://www.newslaundry.com/2023/11/04/diktats-patriarchal-system-the-hurdles-facing-mizorams-few-women-politicians-as-voters-seek-change#:~:text= Since%20its%20statehood%20in%201987,not%20have%20any%20woman%20MLA.

From 1998 to 2022, the female voting percentage in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections has been higher than the male voting percentage. In the 2022 assembly elections, female voting was 76.8% while male voting was 72.4%. Despite this, there is only one woman MLA among the 68 MLAs of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly.

>https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/manipur-assembly-election/five-women-elected-to-60-member-manipur-assembly-it-is-a-first-101647029097432.html
> https://thewire.in/women/himachal-pradesh-assembly-women

There is another interesting story of the Haryana Assembly elections (2014). Voting figures in this election prove that the female voting percentage in rural areas of Haryana is higher than the urban female voting percentage. It is not surprising to emphasize that women living in cities are more educated, more aware, more privileged, and more modern. In contrast, there is a lack of education, general awareness, and facilities in rural areas. Despite this, rural women are more aware of the ‘importance of voting’ or the ‘dance of democracy’ in elections. In the Haryana Assembly elections (2014), the total female voting percentage in rural areas was 44.6% while in cities it was 42.9%. When the women of Haryana vote from behind the veil, the big leaders fall down with a thud on the floor and are left biting the dust in the elections. In fact, rural women voters of Haryana are the ‘real kingmakers’.

The Success Rate of Women is higher than that of Men: No Gender Gap

From 1957 till today, in some Lok Sabha elections, there has been almost double the difference in the victory rate of women as compared to men.

While fielding women candidates in the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly elections, the pretext is often given that tickets are given to those persons who have more chances of victory. It is propagated that women have fewer chances of winnability in the elections. On the basis of this flimsy ground, even the national political parties including the Congress and the BJP are against fielding women candidates in the elections.

According to the Trivedi Center for Political Data, as of 21 April 2019, both the BJP and the Congress had a poor record in terms of giving election tickets to women – the BJP had given tickets to 429 candidates, of whom 53 were women (12.3%), the Congress has declared the names of 387 candidates, of which 47 were women (12.1%). Both BJP and Congress fielded very few women candidates in the elections. If women are not fielded candidates in elections by political parties, then how will their numbers increase as MPs or MLAs?

Contestants and Winners – By Gender

(Table No. 1)

(*Press Information Bureau Government of India Election Commission 21-May-2014)
**5 transgenders also contested the 2014 elections

>‘Battle of half the population, Dainik Jagran, (Panipat) 14 March 2014, p.7
>https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010882/women-candidates-lok-sabha-elections-india/>https://www.livemint.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections/more-women- contesting-polls-but-few-winning-1554346716642.html
> https://www.orfonline.org/research/womens-representation-in-indias-parliament/ >https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-sabha-elections/lok-sabha-election-results-2019- at-14-6-lok-sabha-to-have-most-women-ever/story-5BCCTbyER96BxdMV22PKPN.html

If we look at the various Lok Sabha elections (Table No. 1), it becomes clear that as the number of women candidates in the elections increased, the success rate kept on declining. But despite that, the victory percentage difference between women compared to men doubled from 1957 to 2009.

In 1957, the total number of female candidates was 45 and male candidates was 1473. 22 female candidates were victorious and the victory rate was 49%. Whereas out of 1473 male candidates, 467 were victorious and their victory rate was 32%. In this election, the victory percentage of women was 17% more than that of men. There was a huge increase in the number of female and male candidates in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. The total number of female candidates in this election was 556 and out of these, 59 were victorious and the victory rate was 11%. In comparison, the number of male candidates was 7514. The winning candidates were 484 and the victory rate was 6.40%. This clearly means that although women’s and men’s victory percentages decreased from 1957 to 2009, women’s victory margin compared to men’s has been almost. twice.>‘Battle of half the population, Dainik Jagran, (Panipat) 14 March 2014, p.7

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the number of male candidates was 7583 and the number of female candidates was 668. In comparison to the 2009 elections, the number of male and female candidates has increased in 2014. In 2014, the success rate of male as well as female candidates has also declined. In this election, the success rate of male candidates was 6% while the success rate of female candidates was 10%. The success rate of men decreased by 0.40% as compared to 2009 and despite the drop of 1% in success rate, the success rate of women is 4% higher than that of men. In short, women have a higher success rate than men. Despite this, due to the patriarchal system, and narrow and male-centric mentality, women are not fielded candidates in elections by political parties. This is the reason that even after the completion of 75 years of independence, at present the total number of women MPs in the Lok Sabha is 78 and 24 in the Rajya Sabha. Hence, the total women MPs in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are 102 (Lok Sabha 78 + Rajya Sabha 24).

Women Presidents of Political Parties: Huge Gender Gap

Political parties are like the backbone of the democratic system. A political party is a group of people who believe in the same ideology and work on the basis of political values and ideology from the local level to the national level and after coming to power, implement those policies in the public interest. At the time of elections, political parties nominate their candidates and persuade the voters for their victory in the elections. Through elections, their policies get legitimacy and they get the right to rule for a certain period of time.If it loses, plays the role of the opposition. The main function of the opposition is not only to criticize the government but also to propose alternative policies, plans, etc. before the public and to put constant pressure on the government to implement the policies. It mobilizes the public for change. It reaches out to the public by exposing the shortcomings of the governments through mass movements. As a result, it is impossible to imagine democracy without political parties, that is, imagining “party-less democracy” is like the beautiful dreams of ‘Mungerilal’.

Democracy is converted into ‘representative democracy’ by political parties. The supreme leadership of political parties is the High Command and the President or the General Secretary. Discipline is established in political parties by the High Command and the President. The charismatic personality of the top leadership of political parties is a source of inspiration for its party members and the masses. The leadership influences both public opinion and the government. Therefore, it is important for our learned readers to know the status of women in relation to the Presidents or the General Secretaries of political parties in India.

On the global stage, women are presidents of their respective political parties in many countries. But in India, since the establishment of the world’s largest party – Bharatiya Janata Party (1980), not a single woman has held the post of national president. On the other hand, in leftist parties like the Communist Party of India (Marxist), not a single woman has become the national General Secretary to date. The Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) has governments in Delhi and Punjab. Neither the President of this party nor the Chief Minister is a woman. Barring a few parties, the condition of regional parties is also the same. We believe that the mentality of both parties based on right-wing ideology or communist leftist ideology is patriarchal. In such a situation, when women will not be in a position to make decisions in political parties, then in reality they will not be able to play an The position of Congress is completely different from these parties. Till now, five women have been the national president of the Congress Party. During the independence movement, three women were elected president of the Indian National Congress Party. Two of these were foreign women – Annie Besant ( 1917) and Neeli Sengupta (1933) and the third was Mrs. Sarojini Naidu ( 1928). After independence, Mrs. Indira Gandhi was the President of the Indian National Congress Party (from 1959 and 1978 until her death in 1984). She was the fourth woman to be elected to this post. The name of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has held the post of President of the Indian National Congress Party for the longest time. She was the fifth woman to be elected President of the Congress in 1998 and held this post for twenty years – from 1998 to 2017 and again from 2019 to 2022. The Congress Party was established in 1885. From 1885 to 2023, no person in the Congress Party has held the post of President for so long. Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Mrs. Sonia Gandhi have a proud place in the category of most powerful women globally.

Among regional political parties, former Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalitha From 9 February 1989 to 5 December 2016, was the fifth and longest-serving General Secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). On 18 September 2003, Kumari Mayawati was elected as the President of the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP).On 28 August 2019, She was re-elected for the fourth consecutive time. She has also been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh four times (1995-1995, 1997-1997, 2002-2003 and 2007-2012). She is considered to be a strong woman in Indian politics and a symbol of Dalit politics in India. All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) was established on January 1, 1998, and Ms. Mamata Banerjee was its founding president and she still continues in this post. At present, Ms. Mamata Banerjee is the only woman Chief Minister in India.

Although political parties talk about gender equality, as far as the post of party president is concerned, all political parties except the Indian National Congress (INC), All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP), and AIADMK ‘ are ‘male-centric’ and support the ‘patriarchal system’. There is a huge difference between the theory and practice of political parties regarding gender equality. They do ‘Stree Vandana’ only as a show but in reality, it is not so. Ultimately, their viewpoint is anti-women and anti-gender equality. In such a situation, to what extent can the talk of empowerment of women be meaningful in Indian politics? This is a questionable question.

>https://samajweekly.com-women-sections-of-political-parties
>https://myvoice.opindia.com/2017/12/five-women-presidents-of-the-congress-party/
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sonia-gandhi-congress-president-rahul-gandhi-politics-4983911/
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayawati
>https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jayalalitha-

Women and The Panchayati Raj: A Glorious Constitutional Revolution of Women’s Empowerment

After independence from British imperialism and about 562 princely states of India on August 15, 1947, 50% reservation for women in all fields was advocated by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, and prominent leader of the opposition and socialist thinker Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia had also supported it. We believe that women constitute half of the population and they should have 50% representation in all institutions.

Before India got independence from British imperialism and Indian princely states, Rehbar-e-Azam Deenbandhu Sir Chhotu Ram was a farsighted leader of the era. He believed that the dream of gender equality would not be fulfilled unless women participated in the law-making process. This is the reason that 80 years ago in 1943, it was due to his persistent and continuous efforts that a law was enacted by the Punjab Legislative Assembly regarding reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and the Legislative Assembly in Punjab. In 1943, a statutory provision to reserve 50% of seats for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and 20% of seats in the Legislative Assembly was passed. However, due sudden demise of Rehbar-e-Azam Deenbandhu Sir Chhotu Ram on 9 January 1945, this Act could not be implemented. And it went into abeyance. >https://samajweekly.com/%e0%a4%b9%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%af%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a3%e0%a4% be-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%9c%e0%a4%a8%e0%a5%80%e0%a4% a4%e0%a4%bf-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a5%87%e0%a4%82-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%b9/

>International Journal of Computing and Business Research (IJCBR), ISSN (Online): 2229-6166, International Manuscript ID: 22296166V1I1201011, Volume 1 Issue 1 December 2010)

Gram Panchayats are described in Article 40 under the Directive Principles of State Policy(Chapter 4) of the Indian Constitution. According to Mahatma Gandhi, the soul of India resides in the villages. To realize Mahatma Gandhi’s, dream of ‘Gram Swaraj’, India’s first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone of the Panchayati Raj at Bagdari village of Nagaur district of Rajasthan on 2 October 1959, on the birthday of the Father of the Nation. After this great event, the Panchayati Raj was established in various states. It would not be out of place to emphasize that the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have become the great vehicle and linkage of rural developments. In addition, the PRIs have become the primary schools of training for the democratic system on the largest scale for the rural masses. >https://www.bhaskar.com/local/rajasthan/nagaur/news/to-fulfill-mahatma-gandhis-dream-of-swaraj-pt-nehru-had-laid-the-foundation-of-panchayati-raj -from-here-on-his-birth-anniversary-today-it-is-an-important-link-in-rural-development-128982916.html

Almost for three decades, from 1959 to 1987 the women’s representation in Panchayati Raj Institutions was almost symbolic. It was for the first time in 1987, that seats were reserved for women in Panchayati Raj institutions by the Government of Karnataka. As a result, about 18,000 women were elected to the Panchayati Raj institutions of Karnataka. This was an incredible achievement. After this, through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) of the Indian Constitution, 33% of reservation was done for women in Panchayati Raj institutions, and through the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) 33% of reservation was done for women in Urban Self-Government Institutions also. As a result, the Panchayati Raj Acts were passed by various states on the basis of the 73rd Amendment.

>Chandra, BK (Edited), Panchayati Raj in India Status Report 1999, New Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, March 2000
>Maheshwari. A. ‘Leading Question’, Hindustan Times, 22 December 1996, p. 5 and 7

After the implementation of the Panchayati Raj Acts, lakhs of women were elected as members and heads of Panchayati Raj institutions. According to the data of 2007, 10.48 lakh (36.5%) women were elected in Panchayati Raj institutions all over India. This is a global record of women’s empowerment. Women came out of the four walls of the house and entered public life peacefully and started playing a revolutionary role. As a result of this success, the voice was raised ‘Half the population, half the seats’, that is, women should have a 50 percent share in local self-government institutions in rural as well as urban areas.

On August 27, 2009, the Congress-led UPA government (Cabinet )of Dr. Manmohan Singh decided that there should be 50% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions. To provide 50% reservation, it was decided to amend Article 243D in the Constitution. It is expected that after the implementation of this amendment, about 20,00,000 women would be elected in Panchayati Raj institutions all over India. It was an unprecedented and revolutionary decision in the direction of women’s empowerment because a provision was made to reserve 50% of the seats to be filled in direct elections for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes.

In 21 states of India, there is a 50% reservation of seats for women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions( PRIs). These states are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal..

>https://samajweekly.com/%e0%a4%b9%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%af%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%a3%e0%a4% be-%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%80-%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%be%e0%a4%9c%e0%a4%a8%e0%a5%80%e0%a4% a4%e0%a4%bf-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a5%87%e0%a4%82-%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%b9/ )

As a result, at present, there are more than 15 lakh women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions and municipalities of India. This is approximately 40 percent. There are 3 million (35.5 percent) women in 141 countries of the world. In the list of 141 countries in the world, only 3 countries have more than 50 percent women at the level of local bodies and 22 countries have 40 percent women in local bodies. India, being in the category of these 22 countries, holds an important place in the field of women empowerment at the local level.

>Source: UN Women, Women in Local Government. By January 2023

As a result, at present, there are more than 15 lakh women representatives in Panchayati Raj institutions and Municipalities of India. This is approximately 40 percent of the total seats. There are 3 million (35.5 percent) women in 141 countries of the world. In the list of 141 countries in the world, only 3 countries have more than 50 percent women at the level of local bodies and 22 countries have 40 percent women in local bodies. India, being in the category of these 22 countries, holds an important place in the field of women empowerment at the local level.

>Source: UN Women, Women in Local Government. By January 2023

After the implementation of the Panchayati Raj Act in India, women from the general category, backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes have a wonderful opportunity to participate in the process of rule-making, rule implementation, and decision-making in Panchayati Raj Institutions and to participate in local affairs. Women’s leadership has also developed. It can be concluded from various studies and research surveys that the working style and efficiency of women aged between 30 to 35 years is better than that of women aged above. This attitude is a positive and good indicator of women’s empowerment. We are of the firm opinion that the reservation of 50 % of seats for women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions will result in the empowerment of women as well as the proper development of villages because women are more sensitive and honest towards their work. In brief, the reservation of 50% of seats for women will generate confidence among women folk and transform social, educational, cultural, and health aspects of life in rural areas in the long run.

Practical Aspects:

In theory, women’s empowerment appears very charming but in practice, it also has its dark side. The powers that have been provided by the law for the empowerment of women, in practice, due to patriarchal mindset, male-centric thinking, and anti-women mentality, women representatives have been made powerless. On behalf of women representatives, their male family members represent them in Panchayati Raj Institutions. For example, in the 2016 elections in Haryana, women in Panchayats were more literate and educated. Despite this, women panch and sarpanch or block committee members or presidents and district council presidents do not participate in panchayats or meetings even on issues related to women.

It is my personal experience that in our village(District Karnal—Haryana) the woman sarpanch was being represented by her “father-in-law” in divorce cases after 2016. Representatives of many villages were present at this meeting. But the female sarpanch was missing. In such a situation, although women were elected representatives, their rights were indirectly captured by the men in the family – father-in-law, husband, sons, or other members. In fact, instead of “empowering” women, it “disempowered” them. and promoting the “empowerment” of men.

The same situation exists in other states. Despite the increase in the number of women in Panchayati Raj institutions, women still have to struggle to express their views. For example, according to a survey, 56% of women are in Panchayati Raj institutions in Jharkhand, and there too the women Sarpanch is continuously struggling to make her voice heard. According to the survey published in New India Express, ‘The calls of 84 women heads were picked up by their husband, brother-in-law, son or any other relative, who answered. “I am the Mukhiyaji’s husband”, “I am the Mukhiyaji’s brother-in-law”, “I am the Mukhiyaji’s son… Tell me, what is your job?… In Jharkhand, the husband of a woman Mukhiyaji is generally addressed as ‘MP’ or ‘ Is called ‘Mukhiyapati’ or ‘Mukhiya Pratinidhi’.

>https://samajweekly.com/women-empowerment-in-indian-political-system/
>https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/sep/24/even-with-56-per-centpresence-jharkhand-women-sarpanches-struggle-to-be-heard-survey-2617864.html

Contribution of Haryana to the Grammar of Political Science:

The contribution of Haryana to the Grammar of Political Science is very important. In the second half of the last century, the word “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” i.e. turncoat had become famous in the politics of Haryana. In the present century, new idioms have been added to the grammar of Indian politics – like “Sarpanch father-in-law”, “Sarpanch husband”, “Sarpanch son”, and “Sarpanch representative”. All limits were crossed in one area of Haryana. In the Sarpanch Sangh elections, out of a total of 6 office bearers including the Chief and Deputy Chief, four ‘husbands’ were elected while their wives were Sarpanches. Instead of elected women, the meetings of officials, MLAs, Ministers, and Chief Ministers are attended by male family members – “Sarpanch father-in-law”, “Sarpanch husband”, “Sarpanch son”, and “Sarpanch representative”. Rural people, officers, MLAs, etc. call him ‘Sarpanch Saheb’. It is unconstitutional, illegal, anti-women, and supportive of the patriarchal system.

Need for Provision of Anti-Crime Law

We strongly believe that there is a dire need for the provision of anti-crime legislation in the Panchayati Raj Acts and we make the following suggestions in this regard::

If women Panch, Sarpanch or Block Committee member or President and Zilla Parishad member or President do not participate in the meetings and their husbands, sons, and other male members of the family ‘represent’ them, then it should be considered as a serious legal offense. There should be legal provisions against this crime. There should be a provision of imprisonment, fine, or both. Such women panch, sarpanch, or block committee members or president and district council members or president should be removed from their posts.
There should also be a provision for strict legal action against those officials who allow male family members or so-called representatives of women in the decision-making process.

In brief, despite the above shortcomings, there is an unprecedented increase in the role of women through reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions and Municipal institutions and this is a good indicator of the success of Indian democracy.

>https://samajweekly.com/women-empowerment-in-indian-political-system/
Governors and Lieutenant Governors: Women’s Representation–Gender Gap

According to Article 153 of the Constitution of India, each state will have a Governor. There are 28 states in India and each state has a Governor appointed by the President of India. According to Article 154, the executive power of the state will be vested in the Governor and will be exercised by him directly or through his subordinate officers. The Governor is the legal head of the state government; all executive actions are taken in the name of the Governor. However, the Governor must act on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister. The actual executive authority at the state level rests with the Chief Minister. The Governor is the statutory head of the state executive while the de facto head is the Chief Minister. In other words, the Chief Minister is the ‘real ruler’ of the state.

So far, 24 women have been Governors and five women Lieutenant Governors of Indian states and the Union Territories. The first woman Governor was the famous freedom fighter Smt. Sarojini Naidu (“Nightingale of India” – 15 August 1947 – 2 March 1949) of United Province (Uttar Pradesh). In the category of Governors, Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil (Rajasthan – first woman Governor 25 July 2007 – 25 July 2012) was later enthroned as the first woman President of the Indian Republic. Under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA regime, from 2014 to present, 6 women were appointed Governors. Out of these, Mrs. Draupadi Murmu (the first woman Governor of Jharkhand) – the first woman belonging to a Scheduled Tribes, got the privilege of being crowned as the second woman President of India. Till now, among the 24 women Governors and five women Lieutenant Governors of Indian states and Union Territories respectively, Smt. Padmaja Naidu, daughter of Indian politician Sarojini Naidu, has the longest tenure. She served for 10 years and 209 days from 3 November 1956 to 31 May 1967, as the Governor of West Bengal. The tenure of Smt. Kamala Devi Beniwal is the shortest in the category of women governors. She was the Governor of Mizoram for 31 days from 26 July 2014 to 8 August 2014. He was dismissed by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government. Anandiben Patel is the only woman Governor to serve three states – Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from the 28 states, there are eight Union Territories – Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi (National Capital Territory), Jammu and Kashmir. The administrator of the Union Territory is the Lieutenant Governor. As of 1 November 2023, no woman has served as the administrator of a union territory except Puducherry. In Puducherry, five women served as Lieutenant Governors – Smt. Chandravati, Smt. Rajendra Kumari Bajpai, Smt. Rajni Rai, Smt. Kiran Bedi and Smt. Dr. Tamilisai Sundararajan (Additional Charge). Smt. Kiran Bedi is the longest-serving Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry for a period of 4 years 263 days (29 May 2016 – 16 February 2021). To date, no woman Lieutenant Governor has been appointed in Delhi (National Capital Region). Governors and Lieutenant Governors are appointed by the President. But it is really disappointing that to date women have not been given any priority even in these appointments. This is the reason why a gender gap exists between men and women in these appointments.

>https://feminisminindia.com/2019/11/06/padmaja-naidu-female-governor/
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7123843
>https://upgovernor.gov.in/en/page/constitutional-role-of-the-governor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_female_governors_and_lieutenant_governors_in_India
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lieutenant_governors_of_Puducherry >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrawati https://www.gkgigs.com/female-governors-in-india/?expand_article=1

From 1947 to 2023: Only 16 women Chief Ministers

The Constitution of India came into force on 26 January 1950. From 1947 to 2023, only 16 women have been Chief Ministers in India compared to more than 350 male Chief Ministers. These 16 women Chief Ministers Ministers belong to regional parties as well as national political parties.

In historical order, the leader of the Indian Congress Party, Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani (Daughter of Haryana) is credited with being the first woman Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1963-1967. She was followed by Mrs. Nandani Satpathy (Orissa), Mrs. Shashi Kala Kakodar (Goa– June 1977—- 27 April 1979), Mrs. Syeda Alwar Taimur (Assam), Mrs. Janaki Ramachandra (Tamil Nadu – short term of 23 days), Mrs. Jayalalitha (Tamil Nadu), Kumari Mayawati (Uttar Pradesh – four times (1995- 1995, 1997–1997, 2002–2003 and 2007- -till 2012) Mrs., Rajendra Kaur Bhattal (Punjab – short term of 83 days), Mrs. Rabri Devi (Bihar), Mrs. Sushma Swaraj (Daughter of Haryana – Delhi – short term of 52 days), Mrs. Sheila Dikshit (Delhi – three times), Mrs. Uma Bharti (Madhya Pradesh), Mrs. Vansudhara Raje (Rajasthan), Mrs. Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal – for the third time from 20 May 2011 to 25 May 2016, 26 May 2016 to 4 May 2021, from 5 May 2021 to present), Mrs. Anandi Ben Patel (Gujarat) and Mrs. Mehbooba Mufti (Jammu and Kashmir). At present, BJP-led NDA has governments in 16 states, but in these states, there is not even a single woman Chief Minister.

According to the latest data of 25 October 2023, the Indian National Congress (INC) is in power in 4 states – Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The Congress party has a majority in these states. Apart from these states, Congress has joint governments in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Tamil Nadu. Therefore, directly or indirectly, at present Congress Party is in power in seven states but even in these states, there is no woman Chief Minister.

Some Important Highlights Regarding the 16 women Chief Ministers are as follows:

First, till now the longest tenure (about 15 years) has been of the Chief Minister of Delhi, Mrs. Sheila Dikshit. Second, the shortest tenure (23 days) was of the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mrs. Janaki Ramachandran. Third, Ms. Mayawati (UP) was the only Dalit woman Chief Minister in India so far. Fourth, Mrs. Rabri Devi (Bihar) and Sadhvi Uma Bharti (Madhya Pradesh) belong to backward castes. Fifth, Mrs. Syed Alwar Taimur (Assam) and Mrs. Mehbooba Mufti (Jammu and Kashmir) are Muslim women. Sixth, Mrs. Rajendra Kaur Bhattal (Punjab) belongs to the Sikh religion. And, finally, at present Mamata Banerjee is the only woman Chief Minister of West Bengal in the whole of India.

>https://samajweekly.com/women-empowerment-in-indian-political-system/>https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-can-now-boast-of-four-women-chief-ministers-133691-2011-05-12https://testbook.com/question-answer /which-indian-state-had-women-chief-ministers-more–623c6debea1e12d87416e910
>https://www.oneindia.com/list-of-chief-ministers-of-west-bengal/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/mamata-banerjee-longest-serving-woman-cms-in -india-7300646/
>https://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/government/which-are-the-states-indian-national-congress-ruling-in-2023
>https://www.jansatta.com/national/karnataka-election-result-2023-list-of-congress-ruled-states/2807560/

The Left parties were in power in Kerala, Bengal, and Tripura. Currently, there is a Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala. But since the 1950s till today, there have been no women Chief Minister of governments of the Left Democratic Front. Therefore, it is crystal clear that whether it is the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led NDA or the Indian National Congress-led UPA, they all talk about women’s empowerment but in ultimate reality, these are not ready to transfer power from male to female. All the promises made by these parties appear to be hollow and mere statements. This is the main reason why women’s political empowerment is at the lowest ebb from the point of view of the post of Chief Minister.

Women’s Representation in State Legislative Assemblies: Variation in Gender Gap

According to the data presented in the Lok Sabha by the Union Government Minister, Kiren Rijiju in December 2022, India’s state assemblies have more than 10% women MLAs in Bihar (10.70%), Chhattisgarh (14.44%), Haryana (10%). Jharkhand (12.35%), Punjab (11.11%), Rajasthan (12%), Uttarakhand (11.43%), Uttar Pradesh (11.66%), West Bengal (13.70%) and Delhi (11.43%).

On December 9, 2022, Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that in 19 state assemblies—Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana etc. there are less than 10% women MLAs. In Gujarat, the state of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, 8.2% of women are elected to the Assembly. In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly, there is only one woman, Reena Kashyap, MLA. After the establishment of Nagaland, not a single woman representative was elected in the 13 elections of the Assembly till 2023. For the first time in the March 2023 elections, two women from NDPP, Ms. Hekani Jakhalu, and Ms. Salhoutunuo Kruse were elected in the Nagaland Assembly elections. The victory of these two women in the elections is actually a sign of women’s political empowerment. In reality, it is a milestone in the history of Nagaland. There are innumerable constituencies in different states of India from where to date not a single woman has been elected to the Legislative Assemblies.

>https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/not-1-woman-chief-minister-in-16-nda-states-derek-obrien-on-womens-quota-4410744) .)
>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/elections/assembly-elections/nagaland/news/meet-hekani-jakhalu-and-salhoutunuo-kruse-who-created-history-by-becoming-first-2-women-mlas -in-nagaland/articleshow/98363688.cms?from=mdr
> https://www.thehindu.com/elections/nagaland-assembly/hekani-jakhalu-becomes-first-woman-mla-in-nagaland-history/article66571124.ece
>https://www.hindustantimes.com/elections/manipur-assembly-election/five-women-elected-to-60-member-manipur-assembly-it-is-a-first-101647029097432.html
>https://thewire.in/women/himachal-pradesh-assembly-women >https://www.livehindustan.com/assembly-elections/himachal-pradesh-elections/story-himachal-election-2022-result-68 -member-assembly-will-have-just-one-woman-mla-reena-kashyap-7465179.html
>thehindu.com/news/national/19-state-legislatures-have-less-than-10-women-member-center/article66252443
> https:// Indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/hekani-jakhalu-nagaland-first-woman-mla-ndpp-8475448/

The Presidents and Vice Presidents from 1950 to 2023: Gender Gap—Ratio Male 14 Female zero

The President is the first citizen of India. According to Article 53 of the Constitution, the ‘executive power’ of the country is vested in the President and is exercised by the President directly or through officers subordinate to him in accordance with the Constitution. According to the Constitution of India, there is the Council of Ministers to “aid and advise “ the President. Legally, the President has powers. He is only the ‘statutory President’.But the actual powers are exercised by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is actually the ‘ruler’ in the Indian parliamentary system. In other words, the President is the constitutional or nominal head while the ‘real head’ is the Prime Minister.

After the implementation of the Indian Constitution in 1950, so far out of 18 Presidents (including three acting Presidents), there have been only two women — the first woman President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil (25 July 2002-25 July 2012) and the second current President, Mrs. Draupadi Murmu (25 July 2022—present) have enthroned this post. Smt. Draupadi Murmu is the 15th President of India.

In India, there is the post of Vice President (Articles 63-73 of the Constitution)als0. The Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. From 1950 to 2023, 14 Vice Presidents have occupied this office. Till now, among the 14 Vice Presidents, not a single woman has been elected to this post. That means the gender gap is 14 ratio zero.

>https://presidentofindia.nic.in/Profile
>https://vicepresidentofindia.nic.in/former-vice-presidents
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_India

From 1947 to 2023, the Representation of Women in the Indian Council of Ministers is only 10.53%: Gender gap: Male 89.53% ratio, female 10.53%

Article 74(1) of the Constitution states that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head to give ‘aid and advice’ to the President of India. According to Article 75 of the Constitution, the Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President, and other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. The ministers will remain in office till the wish of the President.

There have been 14 Prime Ministers in India since 15 August 1947. The tenure of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (15 August 1947 to 27 May 1964) is still the longest in Indian history and Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s first government (1996) was the most short-lived, lasting only 13 days. The current Prime Minister Narendra Bhai Damodardas Modi (Narendra Modi) is the 14th Prime Minister of India (from 30 May 2014 to date). Dr. Manmohan Singh, leader of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), is the first Prime Minister belonging to a minority religion (Sikhism) who has been the Prime Minister (2004–2014). Although till now there have been two Prime Ministers from backward classes (HD Deve Gowda and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi), no person belonging to India’s largest minority group (Muslim religion), Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has become Prime Minister yet. From 1947 till today, in 76 years, only one woman, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, has held this august post of Prime Minister (1966-1967 for the first time and 1980-1984 for the second time). Achievements of Smt. Indira Gandhi during her reign included the nationalization of banks (July 1971), abolition of Privy Purse, victory in the Indo-Pak War 1971, creation of Bangladesh, surrender of 93,000 soldiers of Pakistan to the Indian Army, and conducting underground nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1974 are included among her most important achievements. Due to these achievements, Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s name is inscribed in golden letters in the category of best Prime Ministers in the history of the world and will continue to shine like a pole star
>https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-prime-ministers-of-India-1832692 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prime_ministers_of_India

>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indira_Gandhi

From 1947 till today, there has been a huge gender gap in the Indian Council of Ministers; women have not received representation in proportion to their numbers. The representation of women in the Indian Council of Ministers was 2.63% in 1947, 6% in 1957, 9.8% in 1964, 7.25% in 1967, 7.50% in 1980, and 11.93% in 1984. It was 12% in 1991, 11.36% in 1997, 11.43% in 1999, 13.79% in 2009 and 10.53% in 2019. The representation of women in the BJP-led government in 2019 is the lowest in the last 20 years. Of the 77 ministers in India’s BJP-led NDA Council of Ministers, only 11 are women. In other words, out of 11 ministers, there is only one woman minister.

From 1947 to 2019, the share of women in the Union Council of Ministers has increased only four times. If women’s representation in the Union Council of Ministers continues at this slow pace, then it will take many years for women to see good days and they will have to travel a very long distance. The representation of women in the Council of Ministers proves that male-dominated thinking is dominant. Men want to remain at the center of power and are not ready to transfer power to women. Women should be given power and position according to their population.

Globally, women’s representation is increasing not only in parliaments but also at the executive level. According to the latest edition of the IPU-UN Women Map (7 March 2023), as of 1 January 2023, out of 151 countries (except 17 monarchies), 11.3 percent have women as heads of state, and 9.8 percent have women as heads of government. A decade ago, the number of female heads of state was only 5.3% and the number of female heads of government was 7.3%. European countries are playing a leading role in the matter of women’s representation. Currently, 16 women are leading different countries in Europe. According to the report of January 1, 2023, 22.8 percent of women lead policy-making cabinet members. But the countries with 50% or more women in the cabinet are Albania (66.7%), Finland (64.3%), Spain (63.6%), Nicaragua (62.5%), Liechtenstein (60%), Chile 58.3%), Belgium (57.1%) etc., but in Europe and North America the number of women in cabinets is 31.6 percent. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 30.1 percent are women. The biggest gender gap is that in most countries of Oceania and Western Asia. In these countries, not a single woman is leading the cabinets.

Although the number of women in cabinets and councils of ministers is continuously increasing globally, there is a gender gap as far as departmental leadership is concerned. More women hold top positions in departments related to women’s development, gender equality, social inclusion, social security, indigenous peoples, minorities, etc. But in the areas of public administration, education, environment, energy, natural resources, fuel, mining, transport, etc. Women are very less in the top positions in the cabinets and councils of ministers of various countries. In sharp contrast, the more important departments like finance, economy, national security, defense, foreign department, home department, etc. continue to be dominated by men at the global level. According to this, at the global level, men control the finance, justice, defense, and home departments. Due to patriarchal mentality, male dominance has been established in these areas and women are on the back foot in national cabinets.

>https://theasianindependent.co.uk/democratic-countries-at-the-global-level-womens-representation-and-indias-place-reappraisal/
>https://samajweekly.com/democratic-countries-at-the-global-level-womens-representation-and-indias-place-reappraisal/
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/women-female-ministers-modi-central-bjp-nda-govt-1825236/

Women Representation in Indian Parliament: Glairing Gender Gap

India is the world’s largest democracy. But the representation of women in the Indian Parliament –(The Lok Sabha andThe Rajya Sabha)and State Assemblies is only symbolic. From 1951-1952 to 2019, 17 Lok Sabha elections have been held. In the first general elections(1951–52), the number of women representatives was 22 in the Lok Sabha. This was only 4.4 percent of the total number of seats(499). There has been a continuous increase in the representation of women in the Lok Sabha since the 15th Lok Sabha elections (2009). There were 59 women MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha (2009) and this is 10.9% of the total number of MPs (545). There were 61 women MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha (2014) and this is 11.2% of the total number of MPs (545). Whereas in the 17th Lok Sabha (2019), 78 women won the elections and this is 14.6% of the total number of MPs (545). This is not an unprecedented increase. In almost 7 decades, only 15 steps have been taken so far regarding women’s representation.

>Source: Election Commission of India Source: Election Commission of India

India is the world’s largest democracy. But the representation of women in the Indian Parliament –(Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha)and State Assemblies is only symbolic. From 1951-1952 to 2019, 17 Lok Sabha elections have been held. In the first general elections(1951–52), the number of women representatives was 22 in the Lok Sabha. This was only 4.4 percent of the total number of seats(499). There has been a continuous increase in the representation of women in the Lok Sabha since the 15th Lok Sabha elections (2009). There were 59 women MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha (2009) and this is 10.9% of the total number of MPs (545). There were 61 women MPs in the 16th Lok Sabha (2014) and this is 11.2% of the total number of MPs (545). Whereas in the 17th Lok Sabha (2019), 78 women won the elections and this is 14.6% of the total number of MPs (545). This is not an unprecedented increase. In almost 7 decades, only 15 steps have been taken so far regarding women’s representation.

>Source: Election Commission of India Source: Election Commission of India

In India, from the first Lok Sabha elections (1951-52) to the 17th Lok Sabha elections (2019), only 690 women have been elected to the Lok Sabha in 7 decades. Out of these, the number of Muslim women is only 25. At present, the total number of women MPs(78) in the Lok Sabha is 14.6 percent. Although we always claim that India is the world’s largest democracy and mother of democracy. In 2014, India was ranked 149th in the list of 193 countries in terms of women representatives in the world ranking. Now India’s position in the global ranking is 148th and we are lagging behind China, Nepal, and Pakistan.

>https://data.ipu.org/women-ranking
>http://archive.ipu.org/wmn-e/classif.htm
>https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/womens-reservation-bill-1631597820-1
>https://thewire.in/government/womens-reservation-bill-the-issues-to-consider
>https://thewire.in/government/womens-reservation-bill-the-issues-to-consider
>https://theasianindependent.co.uk/democratic-countries-at-the-global-level-womens-representation-and-indias-place-reappraisal/
>https://samajweekly.com/democratic-countries-at-the-global-level-womens-representation-and-indias-place-reappraisal/
https://samajweekly.com/women-empowerment-in-indian-political-system/

In brief, there is no provision for reserved quota for women in State Assemblies, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha in India under constitutional provisions or legal provisions or on a voluntary basis in political parties. Some kind of reserved quota has been set in more than 100 states of the world. In India, under the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act (2023), a provision of 33 percent reserved quota has been fixed for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in the States Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha. However, the reserved quota will be implemented only after the new census and new delimitation.

The estimated population of backward classes is about 60% of the total population of the country. But not making any arrangements of reservations for women belonging to the backward classes in the State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha is a burning issue of contemporary Indian politics. To create a vote bank, all the political parties are raising the political issue of backward classes in the assembly elections in five states— (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram) held in November 2023. The political parties did not pay any attention to field backward-class women in these elections in accordance with their population. The political parties are highly dominated by the male-centric mentality. They should voluntarily have a 50 percent voluntary quota for all women. If political parties do not adopt this formula, there is a big difference between their principles and practice. Indian society in general and Indian political parties, in particular, suffer from a narrow” patriarchal mentality” and “Son Stroke”. Therefore, the male-centric mentality must be changed. But it is not possible to have a sudden change in the society. Therefore, women will have to educate, organize, and struggle for their rights in all walks of life from womb to tomb. They will have to go a very long way to have social, educational, health, economic, and political empowerment.

always claim that India is the world’s largest democracy and mother of democracy. In 2014, India was ranked 149th in the list of 193 countries in terms of women representatives in the world ranking. Now India’s position in the global ranking is 148th and we are lagging behind China, Nepal, and Pakistan.